Did You Get What You Deserve?

He was chasing me again. I ran down the familiar corridors, not pausing for breath, all the while hearing his footsteps growing closer and closer. I turned right, and felt my stomach drop as I fell down the stairs-

I sat bolt upright, sweating and crying. My heart was racing and I could hardly breathe. I felt around beside my pillow and found the tatty old bear I that had been my closest companion since I was two. I hugged her to my chest and tried to calm my breathing. Then, as quietly as I could, I slipped out of bed and walked to the door.

I noticed a sliver of light on the wall, and walked towards it. It was coming from the spare room, which was now Alec’s bedroom. I tapped softly on the door before pushing it open. He was sitting on the bed reading a book, and looked up as I opened the door.

“Hey,” he said, sounding surprised. “What are you doing up? It’s two in the morning.”

I opened my mouth. I felt stupid now. I was thirteen, for crying out loud, too old to be bothered that much by nightmares. I shrugged, my face bright red. Alec smiled sympathetically.

“Come sit here.”

I sat down beside him and he put an arm around me.

“Nightmares?”

I nodded.

“Poor you. I remember I used to keep having this one where some random dude was chasing me through the school, and I always fell down the stairs.”

I looked at him.

“That’s what I just had. I always have that one. Like, for the last few months.”

“Really? Weird.”

He grinned at me.

“It’s telepathy.”

I smiled back at him. After a moment I looked down, thinking. I opened and closed my mouth, debating whether to ask him the question that had been bugging me for a few days.

“Why did you come back?”

“Huh?”

I looked up at him.

“Why did you come back? You only knew my dad for two years. Then you spent thirteen years not even knowing who he was. Why did you come back? You spent the majority of your life without him...”

He thought for a moment.

“I suppose... because this is who I am. I guess it was sort of like being on holiday for a long time. I had my time as Alex Morris, but then I came home. And home is where I’m going to stay. When you look at it in the scheme of a lifetime, thirteen years isn’t long. And now-” he kissed the top of my head “-it is time for you to go back to bed, little one.”

I hugged him and stood up.

“Goodnight, Alec.”

“Goodnight, Alecsandra.”

I closed the door behind me and tiptoed quietly down the hallway, wondering why I wasn’t mad that he called me Alecsandra.

**Author's Note: Sorry it's a bit short, that was the logical end point.

Thanks to Days_News for commenting.*